Oregon Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Oregon State in Week 13
By Zach Bigalke
Oregon State can’t reach bowl eligibility, but it can win the Civil War vs. Oregon football. Can the Beavers upset the Ducks for the second time in three years?
Two years ago, Oregon State defeated rival Oregon for the first time in nearly a decade. This year, however, the Ducks are a much better outfit than the 4-8 team that resulted in Mark Helfrich’s termination. On their third head coach in three seasons, Oregon is on track to land in one of the second-tier Pac-12-affiliated bowl games. First, though, Mario Cristobal needs to win his first Civil War showdown as head coach of the Ducks.
Teaming up with one of the nation’s top receivers in Dillon Mitchell, Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is on track to be one of the top picks in the 2019 NFL Draft — if he decides to forgo his senior season to go pro. If this is indeed his last Civil War for the Ducks, Herbert will be looking to go out on a high note in enemy territory.
Oregon State, a regular contender in the Pac-10 before it expanded to 12 teams in 2011, is still a long way from returning to perennial contention. The Beavers have struggled mightily on both sides of the line. No team in the country gives up more sacks than the Beavers, and the Oregon State defense gives up more points per game than all but one teams in the FBS.
Weird things happen in rivalry games, though, as the Civil War has shown over the years. Here’s how you can watch the 122nd edition of the longstanding rivalry game on Black Friday between Oregon and Oregon State:
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Date: Friday, Nov. 23
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Corvallis, Ore.
Venue: Reser Stadium
TV: FS1
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go | FuboTV
Keys to Victory
If Oregon State has any chance of pulling off the upset, it will be because they have found some way to stop Justin Herbert from carving up one of the weakest secondaries in all of college football. They need to get third-down stops and force the Ducks into punting situations, something they have struggled to do to teams this year. Giving Jake Luton time to find open receivers will also be critical.
Oregon, conversely, needs one of the best ballhawking secondaries to keep feeding the ball back to the Ducks offense. They could also stand to finally start recovering some of the many fumbles that Justin Hollins and the rest of the Ducks have produced this year. In general, though, Oregon mostly needs to take full advantage of a Beavers side that ranks 125th in the country against the run.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com
Point Spread: Oregon -17.5
Over/Under: 69
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Prediction
Oregon is going to obliterate the point spread, as they more than double up the score on the Beavers on Friday afternoon in Corvallis. The Ducks will get at least 300 yards and three touchdowns through the air from Herbert, who will also run in a score. Look for CJ Verdell to have a huge game on the ground for the Ducks as well, while the Oregon defense will force at least three turnovers.
Final Score: Oregon 45, Oregon State 21